Rat trap



May e, 1924; 1,4%399 J. S. VICKERS RAT TRAP Filed Feb. 28. 1921 2 sheets-sheet i m d 4 en A w s ff o' v O C) n Q Q o o o o 0 0 e Q o o @G0 v QQ@ OO GG O@ 0.

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May 6 1924. 1,493,299

J. s.. vlcKEzas RAT' TRAP Filed Feb.y 28 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 @was Vat/379,

Patented May 6, 1924.

RAT TRAP.

Application mea February as, 1921. serial 10.448,489, f c

To all who-m t `may concern) Be it known that I, JAMES S. Violines, a citizen of the United States, residing at Alexander City, in the county of Tallapoosa and State of Alabama, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rat Traps7 of which the following is a specification. l

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in animal traps and more particularly to that type which may be termed an ever-set trap, thel primary object of the invention beingy to provide an automaticturnstile for sweeping the animals into the trap and for retaining them therein, the invention also having for its primary objectv to provide means which are entirely independent of the turnstile and disposed in the pathof movement thereof, for releasably retaining the turnstile in set position.

Another object of the invention is to provide a particularly constructed turnstile in combination with a passage whereby it is absolutely impossible fora trapped animal to 'escape past the turnstile after being caught. j j

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of the above nature including a removable terminal casing, which is quicklyy detachable from the remainder of the trap so that the trapped animals may be carried, without fear of escape, to any desired place.

Other objects and advantagesv of the invention will become apparent during the course of the following` description.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of the application and wherein like numerals are employed to designate like partsthroughout the several views.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the inven tion. i

Figure 2 is a top plan of the same.

Figure 3 is a vertical longitudinal section of the same.

Figure'd is an enlarged detail of the spring motor used in conjunction with the trap.

Figure 5 is a horizontal section of aportion of the trap.

Referring now to the drawings wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown the preferred embodiment of the invention, vthe numeral 7 designates the base of the trap and comprises an elongated rectangular board. The box shaped casing Sis secured upony one end, of' the base and the opposite Y ends thereof are provided with doorways 9 and 10. These doorways are provided at opposite vends of a passageway '11; through thegoasing 8, as best seen in Figure 5. It willA be noted that this passage is contiguous to one side of the casing 8, Athis side being provided with a hinged` door 12. When this door is closed, it forms one side wall of the passagewayll, andv half of the opposite side of the passage is provided by a plurality of horizontal ybars 18, and the other half by a turnstile indicated in its entirety by the numeral 14. p which extend the fullheight of the passage are spaced vertically, corresponding endsA being secured in any suitable manner toyone edge of the doorway 10. The'oppositeceorresponding ends of the bars 13 are free` and are arranged adjacent the pivot shaft 18vof-z the tnrnstile. y

y The opposite vertical edge of the opening or doorway 10 is inclined is clearly shown in Figure 5 by the vnumeral 15, and to this inclined edge are secured a plurality of project-ingpins 16 extending toward the door-9 or entrance to the trap. To one side of thejinclined` edge 15 of the doorway are arranged a plurality of vertical spaced bars 17* extending in the same direction as the inclined wall or edge 15. These bars 17 are secured to the top and bottom of the casing The horizontal bars 13.

jour-naled linthe top and bottom of the l casing 8v. The upper end of this shaft pro-`v ijects above the top of thev casing and the terminal of the shaft is fsquare]- as best seen in Figure' 4,7; and provided with cog wheel A 19 adapted for meshing engagement with a i relatively largecog 20 keyed toa vertical shaft 21. A smaller cog notI shown, is secured to 'the shaft 21 beneath thecog 20 for' meshing engagement-with a large cog wheel 22-` mounted upon a winding shaft. 23. A clock spring 24 has oneend thereof secured to the winding shaft 23, `and theo-pp osite 'end of the spring is secured to afsuitable` post 25,.\in the well `known manner.l A

ratchet wheel 26 is also secured to thewinding shaft 23,y or may in fact form a part of the larger winding cog 22. A pivoted spring pressed pawl 27 is pivotally mounted upon the winding cog for cooperation with the ratchet 26 to prevent accidental unwinding of the spring. l In order to prevent rebounding of th turnstile after it moves to a set position, as will be clearly explained hereinafter, a ver tical shaft 28 is journaled in a frame which supports the spring motor mechanism, and is arranged adjacent the shaft 21. A small cog 29 is secured' to this shaft 28 for meshing engagement with the cog 2O whereby rotation of the shaft 21 will be transmitted tothe shaft 28. A ratchet wheel 30 is also secured to the shaft 28 and cooperates with a spring pressed pawl 31 in the well known manner. It will of course be obvious that .this ratchet wheel 30 may be associated with the shaft 18 of the tnrnstile and the shaft 28 ,may be dispensed with. This spring motor i vmechanism is housed by a suitable casing 32 which may be hinged to the top of the casing 8.

` The two arms 33 of the turnstile are secured to the yshaft 13 and extend in oppoysite directions, each comprising a plurality of horizontally extending vertically spaced rods or bars` 34. The free ends of the turnstile arms, or more strictly speaking, the free `ends of the bars 34 constituting the arms are angularly disposed and slightly `arcuated to form curved extremities 35. These extremities of the bars 34 arer arranged in the same relation to their re- 'spective bars, and either one extremity i' i or the rother is adapted to normally extend across the passageway 11 and close the doorway 10 of the passage. The extremities of the bars 34 are adapted to pass between the pins 16 and the vertically spaced bars '13 forming one half of one side of the passageway 11,y and when the trap is set, the extremities of one arm are arranged between the pins' 16 and the bars 13 to absolutely prevent the. escape of the animal which has been swept through the doorway 10 by turnstile in a set position and against the Yinfluence of the clock spring, 24 consists of a vertically movable piatforin 36 hinged at one'end to the edge of an opening in the Vfloor of kthe passageway 11. The pivot of Ythe platform is arranged adjacent the entrance; 9 so that the animal will be well Ywithin' the passageway 11 when the trap is sprung. A spring 37 as best seen in Figure 3, is secured to the base 7 and adapted to exert an upward pressure against the bottom of the movable platform 36 to normally hold the same on a level with the upper surface of the base 7. A cover plate 38 is secured to the bottom of the base to enclose and protect the spring 37.

An upstanding pin 39 projects from the free end of the platform 36 to co-operat`e with the angular ends of the turnstile to releasably maintain the turnstile in a set position. The lower bar of each extremity has its free end hooked as at 40 to engage with the pin 39 for stopping themovement of the turnstile at the proper point so that one or the other of the curved extremities 35 are disposed across thev doorway 10. It is to be particularly noted that the entire platform 36 is disposed in the path of movement or sweep of the turnstile arms 33 so 'that there is absolutely no possibility of the arms missing the animal standing uponv the platform.

An animal may be attracted into the passage way 11 by placing small particle of food upon the` bars of the angular extremities 35 so that the food or lure can be-seen or scented prior to his ent-rance tothe doorway 9. However', after/the animal has entered into the passageway 11 anddi'sposes his weight upony the platform 36`it will more downwardly under the tension of 'the v spring 37 and disengage the pin 39 from the angular extremity of the turnstile which is engaged therewith. This will ofcourse place the turnstile under the control of the coiled spring, and iminediatelyithe turnstile will turn in a clockwise direction vandk sweep the animal from theplatform `through the doorway 10. `When the hooked end 40 of one arm of the turnstile engages the pin'39 upon completing its movementvthere will be i a tendency for the turnstile to rebound due to the impact against the pinv 39. However, this will be prevented by the pawl 31 en- `e'aging with a'tooth of the ratchet wheel, 30, Consequently, the animals williind itimn." possible to escape past the angular endj of the turnstile armv which is disposed across the doorway 10. The bars 17 and peculiar construction of a cornerof the casing S'are provided in order that the turnstile may sweep close to thesel parts. p 1

In order to make doubly certain that the animal will be trapped an inclined conduit or passageway 41 leads from the door-way 10, through an opening"42 in a wall of a boxlike frame 43 secured upon t-lie base 7 at the end opposite the casing 8. A' removable closed receptacle 44 is adapted to be retained within the boxlike structure 43 to receive and retain the lti'air .ijped animals.'Y It will be noted that the upper edge of the wail in which"the 'opening 42 is provided is alsoprovided with a cleat or a clip adapted to overlap one end of the receptacle 44 for preventing accidental displacement thereof. The end of the boxlike structure opposite the wall having the opening 42 therein is relatively narrow as clearly seen in the drawings lso that the receptacle 44 may be readily removed from the structure when desired.

The end 47 of the receptacle 44 which is adapted to abut the wall having the opening.

ment of a platform 51 mounted upon therod 50. IVeights 52 are secured to the under side of the swinging platform 51 to one side of the pivot rod 5() whereby it is normally disposed in a horizontal plane. The opposite end of the receptacle 44 is provided with a sliding door 53 whereby the trapped animals may be removed. As clearly shown in Figures 1 and 2, the top and sides of the receptacle 44 are suitably apertured to provide for ventilation of the receptacle, and to facilitate drowning of the animals trapped when such disposal is desired. v

From the foregoing, it will be seen that after the animal has been swept into the conduit 41 he will naturally endeavor to escape therefrom, either past the angular ends of the turnstile or will travel through the opening 42 in the boxlike structure 43. Upon entering the casing 48 within the receptacle 44, the weight of the animal upon .theaswinging platform 51 will counterbalance the weights 52 and the'animal will be plunged into the receptacle for retention.

The foregoing description and accompanying drawings have reference to what might be considered to be the approved or preferred form of my invention. I desire it to be understood that I may make such changes in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts, materials, dimension,

et cetera, as may prove expedient and fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having fully describedl my invention what I claim new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. yIn a trap, a passageway, an offset casing, a turnstile having arms adapted for movement through said passageway, and casing, said arms having angular extremities either one of which is adapted toV extend across thepassageway to normally close the same, bars separating the passageway from the casing, and the arms of the turnstile being adapted to pass inwardly of the casing between said bars.

2. In a trap, a passageway, an automatic turn stile mounted adjacent one side ofthe passage-way, the arms of the turn stile being adapted to normally extend parallel to' the passage-way and along one side thereof,y

each arm consisting of a plurality of parallel vertically spaced rods, the terminals of the rods of eachl arm being disposed at an angle and normally arranged to extend across the passage-way to close the same, the terminal Y' of one of said rods being bent to form af 8. A trap comprising a casing having a v i passagetherein, a housing fortrapping ,ani-` mals communicating with one end of the passage to form an entrance for the housing,

an automatic turnstile mounted on a vertical axis beside the passage and including al horizontal arm adapted to extend longi-` tudinally of the passage beside the same, and

said arm having an angularly extending free end adapted to normally extend transversely v l ofthe passage at one end thereof to close the entrance tothe housing.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES s. vioKERs,

Witnesses:

O. CIE WARREN, H. I-I. GUNNE. 

